Mop with quickly removable head



A. H. ZUCKER MOP WITH QUICKLY REMOVABLE HEAD Filed May 27, 1959 Jan. 29, 1963 INVENTOR ABRAHAM H. ZUCKER 5 f FIG. 5

BY 5 (7 J W & A RNEYs 3,075,224 MOP WITH QUICKLY REMOVABLE HEAD Abraham H. Zucker, 2645 University Blvd, Cleveland Heights, Bhio Filed May 27, 1959, Ser. No. 816,217 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-229) This invention relates as indicated to mops with quickly removable heads and constitutes an improvement over my prior patent, No. 2,717,405, dated September 13, 1955.

For some time prior to the invention disclosed in my Patent No. 2,717,405 the industry had awaited the advent of a mop which had a quickly detachable head to thereby allow fast and etfortless removal of the same from the handle for a variety of purposes. Among these purposes numbered those of replacement of worn out heads and of reduction of costs by employing a number of heads each disposed at a separate work station in combination with only a single handle which could be carried from station to station. In addition, it was desirable to provide a removable head which could be detached from the handle without the necessity of the operator directly touching the mop rags o rstrings themselves.

My prior patent has provided just such a mop and has received wide commercial acceptance. Experience has shown, however, that there are a number of improvements which could be made to the device disclosed in my prior patent in order to provide a more satisfactory mopping device.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide a mop of the type described having a novel and improved interlock between the head and the handle thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a mop having a detachable head in which improved means is provided to rigidly support the head from the handle.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a mop with a detachable head which is simple in construction and operation but yet rugged and durable.

Gther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description to follow.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mop of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the mop with portions broken away;

FIG. 3 is aside view of the mop, partly in longitudinal section;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of a portion of the mop shown in FIG. 3; a

FIG. 5 is a view, partly in section, of the operating sleeve, showing the manner in which it cooperates with the operating pin and carrier and with the extension removed for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is a view of the mop head as seen from the side at which the handle is attached, the view taken on line 'i-7 of FIG. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I have shown a mop indicated generally as 10 having a handle 12 and a detachable head 14. In the illustrated embodiment I have shown the handle as including a tubular extension 16 affixed by means of a rivet 18 or the like and a support member indicated broadly as 20. The support member 20 includes a tubular portion Zlla coaxial with the tubular extension 16, and within which the end of such extension is received and affixed. The support member includes also atransverse member 20b joined at a central portion to the free end of the tubular portion 20a and extending generally perpendicular to the axis of the tubular portion 20a. The support member 20 may, as shown, be constructed in two parts and subsequently 3,075,224 Patented Jan. 29, 1963 fitted around the end of the extension tube 16 and rigidly attached thereto. A reinforcing web 22 is provided on either side of the tubular portion 20a and extends between such tubular portion and the transverse member 20b to reinforce the same.

As may be seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the transverse member 20b of the support 20 is formed by a pair of legs 24 and 26 which for a distance extend generally parallel to one another and then close towards one another to form a generally U-shaped channel 28 extending generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle 12. Rotatably disposed about the tubular extension 16 intermediate the ends thereof is an operating sleeve 30. The sleeve 30 may be maintained against appreciable axial displacement with respect to the extension 16 by any suitable means. In the illustrated embodiment I have shown a pair of flange members 32 and 34 for this purpose. The flange 32 is held against displacement towards the mop head 14 by means of the upper end portion 36 of the support member 20. Flange 34 is maintained against displacement away from the mop head 14 by means of a pin or the like 38 which extends through the tubular extension 16 and is aflixed thereto by suitable means.

The internal surface of the operating sleeve 30 is provided with helically extending threads 40 which are here illustrated as being generally square in cross section. -A pair of oppositely disposed elongated slots 42 and 44 are formed in the walls of the tubular extension 16 and may extend for substantially the entire length of the operating sleeve 30. An operating pin 46 provided with flattened end portions 48 and 50 is housed within the tubular extension 16 and extends generally transverse the axis thereof, with the end portions of the pin 46 extending through the slots 42 and 44 and into the valleys of the threads 40 provided internally of the operating sleeve 30. The end portions 48 and 50 of the operating pin 46 are of a thickness to be freely slidable in the said valleys and, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the pin 46 is formed with a slight bend at 52 to prevent the ends 48 and 50 of the pin from binding in the threads 46 due to the helical extent thereof.

Disposed generally centrally of the extension 16 is a carrier or link 54 having a hole 56 therein near one end for receiving the operating pin 46. A T-shaped locking or key member 58 is provided at the other end of the carrier or link 54. The mop head 14 includes an elongated base portion 61) provided at each end thereof with notches 62 and 64. A top 66, which is generally channel-shaped in cross section, is provided with straps or tongues 68 and 70 which project through the slots or relieved portions 62 and 64 and which are bent to lie along the under side of the base member 60 thereby to attach the top 66 and the base member 69 together as a unit. As will be observed, the top 66, when mounted on the base member '60, forms a rib or rib-like means providing a raised ridge adapted to be received within the U- shaped channel 28 of the T-shaped support 20. The mop rag or mop string assembly 72 is clamped between the edges of the channel-shaped top 66 and the base member 60, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ends of the mop rag or mop string assembly 72 are allowed to project beyond the ends of the base member 60 and top 66 as at 74 and 76 and act as bumpers to prevent scarring of walls and the like. The top 66 is provided centrally thereof with an elongated slot 78 extending generally crosswise of the top 66 and being of a length to receive the cross arm of the T- shaped locking member 58, and or" a width to receive the base or leg of the T-shaped looking or key member 58.

In operation, when it is desired to attach the mop head 14 to the handle 12, the operating sleeve is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, thus moving the operating pin 46 along the slots 42 and 44 in a direction towards the support member Ztl. As the pin moves along the slots, it pushes the carrier or link 54 with it, thus moving the locking member 53 out of the channel zs formed in the transverse member 2912 of the support member 243. When the looking or key member 58 has been moved a sufiicient distance outwardly of the channel 28, the mop head 14 is positioned generally perpendicular to the plane of the locking member, thereby allowing the locking member to be inserted through the slot 78 formed in the top 66. By then rotating the mop head and the handle one-quarter turn relative to one another, the cross arm of the T shaped locking or key member 58 is positioned crosswise of the slot 78 and is disposed within the channel formed in the top 66, thereby locking the carrier 54 and the mop head 14 against substantial relative axial movements.

At this point the operating sleeve 30 is rotated in a clockwise direction, thereby pulling with'it the carrier or link 54. This action carries the top 66 into the channel 28 formed in the transverse member of the support member 2% and, upon suli'icient rotation of the operating sleeve 3d, the free ends or edges of the legs 24 and 2 6 will be brought into firm abutment with the mop rag or mop string assembly 72, thus locking the mop head 14 and the handle securely together. As may be seen, for example, in FIGS. 3 and 4, the base member 60 is somewhat wider than the top 66 and by this structure acts .as a backup means for the mop rag or mop string assembly 72, thereby allowing it to be gripped firmly between the free ends of the legs 24 and 26 and the base member 6% V For additional rigidity, top 66 rests against the closing bottom of U-shaped channel 28 at abutment surfaces 80 and 81 as seeniin FIG. 4. This action also allows. some pressure to be relieved from, base member 60, assuring straps 68 and 70 continued maximum gripping action of assembly 72 as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4.

It may be seen that by the structure disclosed hereinabove I have provided a mop having a detachable head i wherein the connection between the mop handle and detachable head is extremely rugged and sturdy. Con siderably more so, in fact, than the mop I disclosed in my prior patent, Patent No. 2,717,405.

For the purposes of simplicity of description, I have illustrated my invention as being included in only a single embodiment. It will be immediately obvious, however, that a number of modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, my desire to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mop including a tubular handle having at one end a transverse member defining a pair of generally parallel spaced legs defining co-planar edges, a carrier member carried by said handle, means to move said carrier member within the space defined between said parallel legs in a plane generally parallel thereto, a head having mopping means attached thereto, said head including rib-like means providing a raised ridge, locking means including a generally T-shaped member including a cross arm riormed on said carrier and an elongated slot provided on said head, the cross arm of said T-shaped member being receivable through said slot whereby rotation of said carrier and said head will lock the same together against relative axial displacement, and abutment surfaces provided in said transverse member, said abutment surfaces engaging said rib-like means and said surfaces and rib-like means co-operating with said parallel spaced legs when said head and carrier are locked together and when said carrier is moved sufliciently within the space defined between said legs to lock tightly said head against rotational displacement.

2. A mop including a tubular handle having at one end a transverse member of generally channel shape in crosssection and extending beyond the periphery of said handle, reinforcing means extending between said transverse memher and said handle, a'carrier link reciprocable within said handle and having an end portion thereof extending into said channel, a key formed on said end portion, means to move said key in a plane generally parallel to the sides of said channel, a mop head having an elongated base memher and an elongted top member, a mop rag clamped between said base and top members, a keyway on said head for detachable locking engagement with said key, portions of said channel-shaped transverse member beingin tight engagement with portions of said head in a retracted position of said carrier and key to clamp said head thereagainst, and rib-like means on said head providing a raised elongated ridge closely adjacent the legs of said channel to prevent relative rotation of said head and handle.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,002,268 Hayden Sept. 5, 1911 1,067,292 Wilson July 15, 1913 1,196,465 Leslie et a1 Aug. 29, 1916 2,159,350 Budenthal et al May 23, 1939 2,482,163 Finnel Sept. 20, 1949 2,864,110 Bruger Dec. 16, 1958 2,870,473- Schwartz Ian. 27, 1959 2,902,794- Schwartz Sept. 8, 1959 2,954,575 Ron'es et al. Oct. 4, 1960 v FOREIGN PATENTS 741,136 Great Britain Nov. 30, 1955 

2. A MOP INCLUDING A TUBULAR HANDLE HAVING AT ONE END A TRANSVERSE MEMBER OF GENERALLY CHANNEL SHAPE IN CROSSSECTION AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID HANDLE, REINFORCING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TRANSVERSE MEMBER AND SAID HANDLE, A CARRIER LINK RECIPROCABLE WITHIN SAID HANDLE AND HAVING AN END PORTION THEREOF EXTENDING INTO SAID CHANNEL, A KEY FORMED ON SAID END PORTION, MEANS TO MOVE SAID KEY IN A PLANE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE SIDES OF SAID CHANNEL, A MOP HEAD HAVING AN ELONGATED BASE MEMBER AND AN ELONGATED TOP MEMBER, A MOP RAG CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID BASE AND TOP MEMBERS, A KEYWAY ON SAID HEAD FOR DETACHABLE LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID KEY, PORTIONS OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED TRANSVERSE MEMBER BEING IN TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH PORTIONS OF SAID HEAD IN A RETRACTED POSITION OF SAID CARRIER AND KEY TO CLAMP SAID HEAD THEREAGAINST, AND RIB-LIKE MEANS ON SAID HEAD PROVIDING A RAISED ELONGATED RIDGE CLOSELY ADJACENT THE LEGS OF SAID CHANNEL TO PREVENT RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID HEAD AND HANDLE. 